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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22992994">Wasteland, baby</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/phlebotinxm/pseuds/phlebotinxm'>phlebotinxm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Baby [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Astrology References, Awkward Dates, Blow Jobs, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Cupcakes are involved, First Dates, Foreplay, Gay Bucky Barnes, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, New York City, Orphan Steve Rogers, Pierced Bucky Barnes, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, References to Illness, Top Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:34:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22992994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/phlebotinxm/pseuds/phlebotinxm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky was on the worst date of his life. </p><p>It all started when Nat forced him to get Tinder, because he “looked lonely” (he did not, thank you very much) and argued that he “wasn’t over Brock”. Which, of course, led to Bucky downloading Tinder, because obviously he wouldn’t let Nat win on this one (he was over Brock, damnit!). Which, of course, eventually led him to agreeing to go on a date with Jasper, currently sitting in front of him.</p><p>And Bucky was having, hands down, the worst date of his life. </p><p>Until a Greek God walking right out of his wet dreams saved him from this massacre, obviously.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Male Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Baby [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>340</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Someday, I'll stop naming all of my works with Hozier songs. But today is not this day. </p><p>Hello everyone! I am back with another small (not that small, considering the fact that it was supposed to be around 5K and ended up being 20K) work on our favorite couple. It all went from one sentence, and turned into this monster. I'm sorry, I guess?</p><p>This is an AU, I also made Bucky a virgo because why the f*ck not. Mind the tags (this is an explicit work), and don't hesitate to come follow me on twitter @ keptinonzebridg if you'd like! </p><p>I hope you'll love reading this as much as I loved writing it. Also, this entire thing is unbeta'd and English isn't my first language, SO I'm sorry about that. xx</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bucky was on the worst date of his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It all started when Nat forced him to get Tinder, because he “looked lonely” (he did not, thank you very much) and argued that he “wasn’t over Brock”. Which, of course, led to Bucky downloading Tinder, because obviously he wouldn’t let Nat win on this one (he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> over Brock, damnit!). Which, of course, eventually led him to agreeing to go on a date with Jasper, currently sitting in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Bucky was having, hands down, the worst date of his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just saying” Jasper kept going, planting his fork in a few salad leafs. “Burgers are bad for your health. Eat more salads, you’ll thank me later.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky gritted his teeth, taking one more bite out of his burger. Meat juice started slowly spilling down his pinkie currently holding the food and down his forearm, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. All he wanted was for this date to end already, but he wanted the fatality to come from the other side of the table. He wasn’t nearly ready enough for Natasha’s smug look if he came home announcing that he was the one who’d ran home early, and Bucky wasn’t one to back down from any challenges. As he’d often told his friends, “mama didn’t raise a quitter” after all. So, even though he’d wore his tightest black jeans that made his ass look like the juiciest peach, and one of his favorite loose and slightly transparent shirts which complimented his arms just the right way (he didn’t spend all that time at the gym for nothing, God damnit) and hinted his nipples piercings, he couldn’t care less about how the date went anymore. Jasper wasn’t even his type, for fuck’s sake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like burgers” was all Bucky said after chewing and swallowing, as slowly as he could. Lord, this was torture. At least the burger was really good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper had the decency not to reply to that. He still eyed him suspiciously when Bucky licked some of the sauce from his right pinky, without grace. Bucky wondered if he’d make a reflexion about his tongue piercing, that he’d clearly seen now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what is it that you do?” Jasper asked after a long and awkward silence, during which Bucky calculated two different ways to escape by the toilet’s window. And to think that he’d agreed to come to this restaurant when it was way too expensive for his salary, just to prove to his asshole of best friend that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> making efforts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I work at Starbucks” he replied politely, forced smile and all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper quirked an eyebrow. “Oh” he said, and judgment was literally dripping from his condescendant tone. “That’s cool. But do you have any plans for the future? A real job, maybe?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky was gritting his teeth so hard at this point that he was afraid everyone in the restaurant could hear it. Looking around though, he could see that no one really paid attention to them, the lowlights of the restaurant allowing a certain type of privacy to each and every single table. A pity, really.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No” he replied as neutrally as he could. “Not for now. Pays the bills, you know?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Apparently, Jasper wasn’t one to get a hint, because he kept going. “But that’s not a life aspiration, is it? Making other people’s drinks, getting paid so bad… You can’t tell me you actually like it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How could Bucky even reply to that? As a kid, he’d struggled for so long with his studies. Some children were made to study for years, others weren’t. Bucky was in the last category, and when he wasn’t comfortable sharing the fact that he’d left school pretty early, he was pretty proud of his work. It wasn’t what most people aspired to, but it paid the bills, had a pretty great healthcare coverage, and he was happy in his life. Wasn’t it enough? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky didn’t even bother smiling this time, as he replied. “I do, actually” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other man looked taken aback, but he was smart enough not to comment this time. He planted his fork in his salad again, bringing a few leafs to his mouth in silence. Bucky thanked the heavens for this short period of quietness, but it was cut short when Jasper cleared his throat, wiping the side of his mouth with a napkin carefully as if he was in a James Bond movie and about to expose his evil plan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So” He said with what could be interpreted, vaguely, as a teasing smile. “It says in your Grindr description that you like to bottom?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky almost spit out his drink entirely, and it took him a few coughs and pats against his own chest to manage breathing again correctly. A woman sitting at a table next to theirs threw him a dark look, before going back to her hushed conversation with the man in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” he said, putting down his glass. The wine wasn’t nearly strong enough for this conversation. “that’s where we’re going now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t, in his right mind, picture how Jasper thought it was an actual good idea to bring this up at this exact moment. But by the confused look Jasper threw him from above his round glasses, he didn’t share the same thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Jasper asked, blinking. “It is a public information. You put it in your Tinder profile, I didn’t think it was something you’d be afraid to bring up during our date.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Behind Jasper, Bucky heard someone conceal a small laugh in a fake cough. It was done so very poorly that he wondered how Jasper could have missed it, but he didn’t seem phased at all. Ignoring the eavesdropping person that he couldn’t properly see without twisting his body to the left, Bucky focused on Jasper again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is” he replied as calmly as he could. Damn, Jasper made it hard to actually be respectful and honor his mother’s education. Winnie Barnes would have his head if she ever heard of him sassing someone in a public restaurant, though, so he made an effort. “But I just didn’t think you would bring this up in the middle of dinner, to be quite honest with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Behind Jasper, the mysterious man snorted this time. Bucky couldn’t even blame him. He tried twisting his body around just enough to peak a glance at the table by crossing his legs and leaning a little on the left, but the restaurant’s low luminosity and Jasper’s unmoving body prevented him from even catching a glance. Resigned, and a little mad, Bucky sat back on his chair again. Damn, that restaurant was fancy. He could literally feel his ass melt against the cursion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think you’d mind”Jasper replied, more firmly this time. He eyed Bucky up and down, as if he was proving a point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bucky didn’t even have the physical force to feel offended. He just blinked at the man, and sighed. He didn’t peg Jasper for a man who’d judge someone’s character out of their outfit and physical appearance, but here went nothing. Subtly playing with his tongue piercing like he did everytime he was nervous, Bucky shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want to know, then?” he asked, tone flat. The next question couldn’t be worse than the first one, right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve always been fascinated by gay men who like to bottom” Jasper replied, looking extremely happy to be asked. “I just don’t understand how such a… degrading act” he cleared his throat, sitting a little straighter in his seat “could be appreciated.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky was a Virgo, which meant that he was very often right (and loved to gloat). And sometimes, like in this situation, he hated to be so wrong. The next question was definitely way worse than the first one. Behind Jasper, the mysterious man seemed to choke on his glass of water (was it water? Bucky couldn’t even be sure. He hoped mysterious stranger wasn’t choking on good wine for his sake, because that would have been a waste) and cleared his throat a few times. Bucky had no idea how Jasper could even ignore such a racket, but then again, he seemed so focused on himself that it wasn’t even surprising. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Degrading act” Bucky replied slowly, as if he hadn’t heard correctly. “Bottoming is a degrading act to you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper squirmed on his seat. “Well. It’s just… You know. Something literally goes up your ass.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m quite aware of that” Bucky deadpanned. “So what? Just because I like to have a dick in my ass, it means that I don’t deserve respect?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>At this point, Bucky didn’t care about being polite anymore. Winnie Barnes wouldn’t even blame him, if she’d heard the things this man had told her son. She’d been extremely supportive of his sexuality from the moment he had came out to her when he was 14, and she would no doubt excuse the way Bucky handled the conversation at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper frowned “That’s not exactly what I said--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s exactly what you said” Bucky shut him up, pushing his ridiculous apron on the side of his plate, ready to bold out of here. Natasha be damned. “You know, you didn’t have to agree to go on this date if you despise the way I decided to live my life.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He meant to push his chair dramatically and get out of here, because Bucky Barnes was one big drama queen if you listened to his friends, but his movement was aborted by the mysterious man behind Jasper. In one graceful movement, he appeared in Bucky’s vision, getting up and turning around to face his table. Bucky felt his mouth drop open at the sight. The man was tall, incredibly well built (his shoulder to waist ratio was ridiculous, and Bucky was definitely a little jealous), and his piercing blue eyes found Bucky’s for a quarter of seconds before he walked to the table where Bucky was seated and looked at Jasper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright” the man said in a deep voice, which made Bucky weak in the knees. “I feel like this has been disastrous enough already.” he threw a pointed look at Jasper, and pointed his finger at him. “You, Sir, are an homophobic piece of shit. There, I said it. Now, you” he said, turning to Bucky and offering him his hand “need to get out of this disastrous date as soon as possible. This is a rescue mission.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And who was Bucky to refuse such a thing? He was but a weak man faced with a Greek God, so he took the offered hand, and grabbed his backpack with his own free hand. Behind him, Jasper gasped something that he didn’t even paid attention to, and vaguely registered the gorgeous man throwing him a warning look from above his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Sam” Adonis God said once he’d guided Bucky back to his own table behind Jasper with a firm hand down the small of his back. Bucky was in heaven. “I’m gonna go now, if you don’t mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sam, or Bucky assumed he was since he smiled mischievously as he looked at Bucky up and down, nodded. “Sure, man. I’ll see you tomorrow at the office?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adonis smiled. “Yep. Have a great night, give Maria and the kids a kiss for me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, he was guiding Bucky out of the restaurant after paying for his drinks, and his colleague’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry” he said, turning to face Bucky once they were out on the sidewalk in New York’s ever buzzy streets. “I couldn’t just stand by and watch, this date looked painful.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked genuinely sheepish, and Bucky mentally shook himself out of his tremor immediately. A few meters away, a few taxis were on their way to ride right past their position, stopped at the red light, and Bucky couldn’t let this man go without a proper thank you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my God, no, don’t apologize” he finally said, shaking his head frenetically. “It’s fine, more than fine even… thank you. For saving me from... this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He had no idea how his disastrous life had led him to this point, but there he was, standing in the chill New York breeze with a perfect stranger who looked like he came right from one of his wet dreams. Well, his co-star app hadn’t predicted that plot twist this morning when it had sent him his daily notification. When he looked up, the man in front of him looked amused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To be fair” Hot stranger said with a tilt of his head, eyes falling down Bucky’s body and up again. “My motives were purely selfish.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bucky felt his eyebrow twitch in response, crossing his arms against his chest. He knew just the way to make his pecs look bigger, while outlining his nipples piercings just the right way. He was but a man, after all, and nothing ventured, nothing gained as they said (whomever “they” were). Judging by the way the blonde God’s gaze flickered to the small jewel in his delicate flesh, it worked pretty well, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You see” the blonde kept going, eyes shining with malice. “I saw you walk in with that rude guy, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you. You were on a date, though, so I wasn’t about to say anything and just forget about you entirely. But then… I couldn’t help but overhear what was going on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky chuckled. “So you saw a chance to come save me like the real Prince Charming you are, is that right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stranger shrugged, not even bothering to hide his comfortable smile as he replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well. You can’t blame me, can you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky fell silent, judging him for a second. The man was tall, blonde and built like a brick house. He’d already mentally noted that he was 100% his type, but that could lead to unfortunate events. Bucky was a gay disaster, but his mom had actually taught him things during his youth, and getting home with a perfect stranger was one of the things she’d most warned him about. Bucky might be gay and constantly horny (he was 26, he was allowed, thank you very much), but he never got home with someone without at least going on a serious date with them. Serious date involving giving the man’s informations to Natasha, texting her at the end of the date if he wasn’t feeling it, and making sure to analyze the man at least a little before doing something stupid like staying over for the night. The man standing in front of him didn’t look like a psychopath, but then again, psychopaths never looked dangerous, according to </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> on Netflix. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Bucky” he eventually offered, extending his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tall blonde stranger smiled, cupping his hand in his ridiculously soft palm. “I’m Steve. Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you, Bucky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve Rogers, then. Bucky shook the offered hand firmly, before letting his arm fall by his side again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Steve Rogers” He said then, licking his lips out of habit. Steve’s eyes followed the movement intently “Since you’ve spied my entire date and decided to set me free, what have you planned for me now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve’s laugh was deep as it escaped his throat, making Bucky shiver from head to toes at the sound. “I didn’t think this far, to be honest” he confessed, looking at Bucky through his unnaturally long lashes. “But the night is still young. If you’d like, I can show you what I consider as a proper date.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky gave himself two and a half seconds to consider the proposition. He was still a little angry with his latest interaction with Jasper, but his body was buzzing with excitement at the idea of spending a few more moments with Steve. One date couldn’t hurt, and this way he’d also escape Natasha’s judgmental stare if he came home before 8:30. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright” he said with a small smile. “But I already ate, so you better find something creative.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s eyes seemed to shine a little brighter at the idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, trust me on this: I’m always creative when it comes to dates” he replied with an echoing smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then, like a perfect gentleman, he offered Bucky his arm. And of course Bucky had to blink up at him for a couple of seconds before understanding what this offered elbow meant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” he chuckled as he pushed his arm in the space meant for Steve to grab onto him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can I say” Steve replied with a ridiculous eyebrows wriggle. “I’m an old fashioned guy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Steve had mentioned, the night was still young. It was spring, and the air was still mostly as hot as it had been during the day, which meant that Bucky didn’t need to take out his sweater from his ridiculous yellow backpack that he clipped against his chest as they started walking. Steve eyed the thing with amusement, but didn’t say a single thing as Bucky raised a challenging eyebrow in his direction. From this close, Steve looked even more beautiful than before. He had a ridiculous strong jaw, inviting pink lips and the bluest eyes that Bucky had ever seen. The only flaw Bucky could point out was his slightly crooked nose, which looked like it had been broken a good number of times in his youth. Which was probably a story for another day, if a second date eventually happened at some point. Not that it should even be in Bucky’s mind… since the first one hadn’t even occurred yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve led them both to the metro, flickering his metrocard between clever fingers as they passed the turnstiles and headed towards the C line. He didn’t say a word even as they entered the subway, keeping a small secretive smile at the corner of his lips as he mentioned for Bucky to sit next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” Bucky couldn’t help asking as they got up to change line after a few minutes, spent in complete (but relaxing) silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled. “You’ll see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They jumped into the R train at Times Square-42 St Station, running towards the seats as the doors closed with a familiar sound. Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle as Steve ran a hand through his hair, cheeks a little red after sprinting towards the wagon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What,” he asked, amused. “Don’t tell me you’re not used to running at least a little.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gestured at Steve’s muscles, which basically equalled mentioning towards his entire self. If possible, Steve’s cheeks turned a little pinker, and Bucky wasn’t afraid to silently admit that he looked adorable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I used to have asthma when I was younger” Steve confessed, when he had gained a little composure back. “I work out a lot with machines at the gym, but I tend to avoid running whenever I can. Bad memories, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky immediately felt like an asshole. “Oh God” he said with a grimace. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think… Damn, I’m the worst. I’m truly sorry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve made a dismissive gesture with his right hand, using the other one to hold himself to the metro bar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright. I don’t struggle as much as I once did, so it’s fine. It’s just… as I said, bad memories.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded, unable to find anything comforting to say. He barely knew Steve, and personal talks in the middle of the subway weren’t his forté. Steve seemed to understand this, as he smiled knowingly and gestured at Bucky to sit next to him once again when two seats were freed after the 34 St-Herald Square Station.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m taking you to a place I really love” Steve confessed when the doors closed again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I allowed to know where, then?” Bucky tried again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve chuckled. “No. I can only tell you that it’s in Manhattan still. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to walk away from me easily if you don’t like it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really vague” Bucky pouted, fluttering his lashes at an impassive Steve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their conversation was cut short by the announcement of the 28th Station, and Steve getting up swiftly. He once again offered a hand to Bucky like a gentleman, and guided them both off the train before anyone could force their way in without letting them out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flatiron District” Bucky commented as they exited the metro station, turning right on Bedford Avenue. “I love this neighbourhood.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let go of Steve’s hand just enough to twirl on himself, taking the neighborhood in with a smile. He really loved New York, its busy streets and grumpy people but also its gigantic buildings and special architecture. He’d been born and raised in Brooklyn, and no matter what people said, New York would always feel like home to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve watched him turn on himself with a soft smile. “It’s actually where I live.” He pointed at the opposite direction from where they’d been coming with his right hand. “A little bit further down Greenwich Village. I get to my work pretty quickly from there, and I often stop by the place I’m taking you in the mornings.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Bucky couldn’t hide his excitement as Steve caught his hand with ease again. They hadn’t talked a lot about themselves or their lives yet, but he felt at ease with the other man. Steve wasn’t afraid to hold his hand as they walked down the streets, and it was more than a lot of man had ever done for Bucky. He’d always been a pretty social butterfly and a touchy guy, but homophobia was pretty present still in New York (and sadly, America and the world in general). When he’d never experienced anything first hand, New York being as always busy and unbothered when it came to the people that walked its streets, he’d never really gotten the chance to simply hold someone’s hand like this as they walked. It felt nice, and it was all it took for his belly to fill up with butterflies at the simple touch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept on going straight ahead when they arrived at the junction of the West 28th Street and Broadway, and kept on walking for a couple of minutes. Steve’s hand was warm in Bucky’s, and when the both of them were still silent, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here we are” Steve smiled as they came to a halt in front of a little pink and grey Bake Shop, the name “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Butler</span>
  </em>
  <span>” written in soft font right above the small door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned to Bucky, who looked back at him with clear surprise written all over his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said you had dinner” Steve explained with a smirk, gesturing at the door. “But you didn’t get desert, did you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All Bucky could do in response was laugh, and by the look on Steve’s face, it was a win. Steve gestured at him to go first as he held the door open, the warmth of the shop’s inside and the familiar smell of coffee greeting them as they walked in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what’s your guilty pleasure” Steve said once they were inside, finding a place to sit quickly. “But I love tea, and mixed berry yogurts.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bucky put his bag down as he scanned the menu, finding that he loved almost everything that was written down on the black boards behind the counter. He could feel the beginning of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he sat down, already charmed by the place and the company. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I gotta say, Steve Rogers” he finally said, tearing his eyes away from the menu to look at the man in front of him. “You are full of surprises.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve seemed to beam at the compliment, sitting a little straighter in his seat and smiling as wide as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you like this place?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded. “You have officially found my guilty pleasure” he said as he mentioned at the menu with his chin. “Almonds? I could eat tons of it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An almond lover, uh?” Steve asked, never parting from his smile. “I should have known. Do you take almond milk in your drinks, too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky chuckled. “Oat milk, actually. But that’s mainly because I’m lactose intolerant.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Good to know. I wouldn’t want to poison you on a first date.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A server approached their table quickly, greeting Steve by his name as he arrived. They both ordered -a green tea for Steve, and an iced americano with a splash of oat milk for Bucky; and Bucky firmly planted his elbows on the table as he faced the blonde for the first time of the evening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Steve Rogers” he said, amusement bleeding through his words. “What it is that you do you do, for a living?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve didn’t seem phased by the question. If anything else, he looked amused, bending over a little to mimic Bucky’s position,. “I work at Stark Industries” he replied, “I’m a graphic designer.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Outside of the shop, night was slowly falling on Manhattan. The ever busy city was loud as ever, but only the police sirens and nearby cars passing by the windows could be heard inside the shop. There was a song playing in the cosy room, a song that Bucky remembered hearing a few times but didn’t know the title of. Sitting in front of Steve at this moment, Bucky felt more at peace than he’d felt in a long, long time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you like to draw?” he asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve seemed delighted by the question. “Well, yeah. But that’s not all I do, as a graphic designer. Especially since I work with Tony Stark.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bucky could swear he’d heard that name somewhere before. And more than once. He squinted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tony Stark?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The CEO of Stark Industries?” Steve hinted, eyes definitely laughing at Bucky now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was something Bucky hadn’t been expecting. When he’d been sure that Steve was definitely doing good by himself considering his clothes (Bucky could recognize expensive clothes everywhere, it was a gift inherited from his mother), he hadn’t thought he’d been doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> well. Which, all things considered, he should have seen coming when Steve had told him he lived near Greenwich village. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow” he kept going, more than a little impressed now. “That’s… impressive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve ducked his head shyly. “Yeah, well. Tony and I are old friends, actually. We went to college together, and stayed together ever since. He founded Stark Industries when I was still an art student struggling to pay the rent at the end of the month, and he offered me a job in his company. I’ve been working with him ever since.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow” Bucky replied with a slight chuckle. “That’s really, really impressive.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve shook his head, cheeks still slightly pink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never thought I’d get to work doing what I loved” He said. “When I was little… well, I told you before, I was sick a lot. I loved to draw when I couldn’t get out of bed, and it kind of became a passion of mine. But you know how it is, right? The hobbies you have and the things you do for fun, they never end up being what you truly do when you grow up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded. That, he knew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom got cancer when I was 14” Steve kept going, a sad smile changing his face entirely. “She died a little bit after my 16th birthday, and I was left with relatives I didn’t even know or ever heard of before. They were pretty rich, lived right outside Soho, and they wanted me to be an accountant.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stopped when the waiter arrived with their drinks, thanking him with a movement of the head and a genuine smile. Bucky immediately put his hand around the glass, enjoying the warmth of the liquid even though it wasn’t that cold outside. He’d always have cold fingers and cold feet, no matter the time of the year or the weather outside, and holding hot drinks always felt like heaven. Steve looked at him from the corner of his eyes, a fond look on his face as he stared at his fingers with painted nails entwining around the mug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s only when I went to college and met Tony that I decided to do what I was good at, which happened to be what I loved” Steve kept going after a thoughtful sip. “We were doing accounting together, him because of his dad and me because of… well. Because of the people I lived with. I never really considered them as family, in all these years.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded. He really knew what it was like, to turn your back to your own family. After he’d come out, his mom and dad had been extremely supportive, but some people in his family hadn’t been. One of his father’s brothers had been extremely homophobic, and he’d cut ties with him immediately after the encounter. His parents had stopped seeing him as well, but it still hurt to be cut from some family meetings because some relatives just didn’t see the harm in blatant homophobia. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tony didn’t like what he was doing either” Steve smiled. “So one day, he saw me doodle on a napkin and I confessed that art was what I really loved, and he told me that engineering was his true passion. It took us a few months and the help of Pepper, Tony’s girlfriend, to realize that we wanted to start over and do what we were meant to do. It wasn’t easy without financial support, but here we are now. I’d say we did pretty great for ourselves.” He finished, chuckling a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Are you kidding me? This is amazing. Insane, but amazing. I’m so glad you eventually got to do what you were meant to do all your life, though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve looked up at him with a kind smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Bucky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were momentarily distracted by Bucky’s phone, as it vibrated loudly against the wooden table of the shop. Sending Steve an apologetic look, Bucky raised it to his face to unlock it and look at his notifications. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh” he huffed. “It’s my roommate. She’s worried about me, wonders if I’m dead in a ditch somewhere.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve nodded solemnly. “She’s a pretty good roommate, then. Nice of her to worry about where you are when you’re out on a date like this. Especially since you changed your plans” he teased, gesturing at himself with a vague hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky smiled.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you mind if I give her your name? I’ll explain things to her later, but she’s pretty protective and I’d hate for her to harass me via texts for the rest of the night if I tell her I was saved from a shitty date she pushed me to accept.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This quick explanation had the advantage of making Steve laugh, the sound just as pretty and heartwarming as Bucky remembered it from earlier in the evening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No worries” he said finally, taking a sip out of his mug. “If you need to take a photo too, you can do that, I don’t mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky huffed. “Of course you don’t. Look at yourself, who would with a face like this?” He ignored the way Steve grinned like a maniac, and shook his head. “No, I’m gonna keep that to myself for now. Your name will be enough, because I’m gonna mute my phone afterwards.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did as he had just announced, putting the device back on the table with the screen facing the wood once it was done. Steve’s lips were still curled in a cheshire cat grin, and Bucky tried so hard not to laugh. The man actually looked like a kid on Christmas morning after basically being told that he was gorgeous, as if he didn’t already know and hadn’t been told before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So” Steve said before Bucky could even open his mouth, “You think I look hot?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god” Bucky replied with a roll of his eyes, trying oh so hard to keep a straight face. “I should never had told you anything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, I’m glad you did. Now I actually know that you didn’t accept this out of obligation since you know, I saved you from the worst date of your life?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Bucky couldn’t hold back his smile as he let out a small chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright. You win this one. I find you hot, now stop fishing for compliments, Rogers.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never, ever” Steve sang, hiding half of his face behind his mug as he took yet another mouthful of tea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a five years old. That’s it, I’m on a date with a five years old.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The music in the bakery ended, and shifted to one Bucky could recognize everywhere, “In the Air Tonight” a song by Phil Collins. He immediately resisted the urge to roll his eyes, wondering if the universe itself was trying to tell him something about this entire night. In front of him, Steve raised a questioning eyebrow, visibly aware of his inner struggle that could most certainly be seen plainly on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just… I love this song” Bucky explained with a shrug. “Just feels funny to hear it now, that’s all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s smile widened, and he nodded playfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, you’re trying to pick a song for us yet?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky rolled his eyes. “You wish. Let’s see if this date goes well, first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I see” Steve replied just as playfully. “Now, I’m under pressure.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was indeed promised desert. For now, all I can see is a very good drink, but no pastries in my belly. The sweet things on the menu looked more like breakfast kind of sweets.” Bucky pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s laugh was addictive, it was a certainty. Bucky couldn’t help but stare as the man threw his head back and laughed out loud once again, revealing the column of his throat that Bucky wanted to devour so bad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, mister” Steve said, straightening his collar with one hand. “I should have known you’d have a sweet tooth. Once you’ve finished your coffee, I’m taking you somewhere else then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky raised a challenging eyebrow. “It better have a good view, then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, you don’t like this view?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve laid back against the back of his chair, thighs widening slightly as he made himself comfortable shamelessly. He’d thrown one of his arms against the back of the chair while the other still held his tea mug, and Bucky had to admit that he looked absolutely dashing. He could almost hear his shirt scream with the way it stretched against Steve’s chest and arms muscles, the buttons looking two seconds away from popping and letting go of the soft fabric, to reveal the broad chest underneath. Steve wasn’t wearing a tie, which meant that his collar was almost completely exposing the length of his throat and collarbone, which of course happened to be one of Bucky’s greatest weakness. He loved to suckle and bite his lover’s throats, and he went absolutely nuts when roles were reversed, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not bad” he admitted slowly, keeping his thoughts to himself for now. “But you can do better.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I see. You’re a hard man to please, Bucky. But I’m up for the challenge.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They finished their drinks quite quickly after this, and Steve insisted on paying for the both of them. Bucky excused himself just long enough to go to the bathroom, and Steve was on his phone when he came back, looking focused and nothing like the laughing man Bucky had seen a few minutes before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything alright?” he asked when he was back against his side, Steve sliding his phone back in his pocket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah. Just Tony, asking me for a few things for the end of the week, and it’s already Wednesday.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, running a hand through his hair before letting it drop by his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s complicated, sometimes, to work with a friend. To keep this friendship, but at the same time have a professional relationship that can be put to a test when we’re having a disagreement.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>His hand slid in Bucky’s again, and he offered the younger man a small smile that Bucky returned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on” Steve said, tugging him towards the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bucky followed, and for the second time of the evening they found themselves in the middle of New York’s busy streets. This time, the sun was setting in the horizon and the city looked a little less vibrant and hot as in the afternoon. A small breeze shook Bucky’s mid length hair, and Steve caught himself slipping a strand of hair that had escaped his bun back behind his ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you feel about walking a little bit?” Steve asked with a secretive smile, hand tight against Bucky’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette shrugged. “If you keep holding me like this? Really good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noted. Well then, Sir, this way please.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked down Mott Street in comfortable silence, Bucky feeling himself float with content every time he walked past people and Steve didn’t let go of his hand. It was a simple and silly thing, but it made him feel lighter than he’d had in years, and it felt good. They turned right on Mott Street until Bleecker Street and then Broadway, walking right through Union Square. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love the Holiday Market here” Steve said as they exited the park, “I used to come with my mom when I was a kid. I’ve always loved artisanal work, and she always bought me a little something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used to go with my parents, too” Bucky confessed. “It was a long way from Brooklyn to come with two turbulent kids, but we came every year. We’d go to the Rockefeller Center too, and me and Becca would go ice skating while my mom screamed at us to be careful and my father would laugh at us falling on our asses every five seconds.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled, pressing a little closer to his side. Bucky bit back a purr, loving the way their fingers entwined perfectly and their shoulders pressed against one another with every step they took.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a good memory indeed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Me and Becca still come ice skating sometimes during Christmas times, but we don’t do that often anymore. She’s really busy with her studies now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve hummed. “Becca’s your sister, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Little sister, she’s 23 now. She’s studying to be a doctor. A damn good one, I can tell you. She never did things by halves.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Admiration and pride were dripping from his tone, and Steve seemed to notice it as his smile widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to ask, though” Steve said, “Becca and Bucky? Really?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky huffed, throwing his head back. “Of course you would ask about this” he playfully replied, shoving his elbow against Steve’s side. “My real name isn’t Bucky. It’s James. James Buchanan Barnes. When she was little, my sister couldn’t for the life of her pronounce “Buchanan” perfectly, and I don’t know why never really wanted to call me by my given first name. So she started calling me Bucky, and soon everyone started doing the same exact thing. I’ve been Bucky ever since.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky felt his heart clench at the soft look Steve gave him, his hand warm against his palm and their bodies so, so close together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love it” Steve finally said, almost quietly. “It suits you better than James, anyway.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I’ve heard.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am an only child” Steve kept going, lost in his thoughts. “Sometimes, I wish I could have had someone with me, you know, when my mom passed away. Someone to be there for me and with me, the way my friends have been a few years later.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was difficult for Bucky to picture a life without his sister. They only had a three years difference, and most of the things they’d done in their childhood had been together. Every time they’d been punished, caught doing something bad or even did something significant, they were together. He didn’t remember his life as an only child, but meeting Nat and his current group of friends had showed him that a chosen family was just as strong as a blood one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know” Bucky offered, almost timidly. “From what I gathered… It almost sounds like you and Tony could be siblings. Now I don’t know the entire story, but from what I understood you guys have been here for each other for years, you lived together and you fight pretty often, too. That’s what it’s like, to have siblings. It’s not like in the movies, all perfect and white and beautiful. There are a lot of black and even grey moments, a lot of fights and a lot of moments when you just can’t seem to be able to work things out between you two.” He stopped to take a full breath, making sure that Steve was still comfortable with the topic at the same time. “Sometimes, family can be the one you pick. I’ve cut ties with a big part of my own family because of my life choices, and my sexuality. But I’ve gained wonderful people in my life, friends that I consider brothers and sisters.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He squeezed Steve’s hand as lovingly as he could, looking up at the other man. They had stopped walking altogether, standing in the middle of Broadway street and looking at one another in silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right” Steve said with a nod. “I have my friends, and I could always count on them when I needed the most. I haven’t always been lucky with my real family, but I can always count on the one I chose.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He offered Bucky a small, almost secretive smile, hovering in his personal space for a couple of seconds before taking a small step back. Bucky almost let out a disappointed sound at the action, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent any further sound to pass the barrier of his sealed lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on” Bucky finally said to break the tension he’d created between them. “You promised me desert, and I’m not giving up on my daily dose of sugar.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His sentence seemed to have the desired effect as Steve chuckled, resuming his previous pace towards the secret place he was leading Bucky to. Fortunately for both Bucky and Steve, they soon arrived to their destination as Steve came to a halt in front of a very familiar place to Bucky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cupcakes?” Bucky exclaimed as he took one look at the name of the shop, dropping Steve’s hand in surprise. “God, Steve. You really know how to seduce me just the right way. I’d do anything for cupcakes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He threw one look at the other man from above his shoulder, biting the inside of his lower lip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And when I say anything, I mean it” he added with a quirk of his eyebrow, feeling bold enough to try some moves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve groaned, eyes shining with something that Bucky wanted to see unleashed so badly. “Don’t go down this path, Bucky” he warned, licking his lips.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a step forward to open the door for Bucky, the younger man sliding inside the shop swifty. Bucky decided to drop the subject for the time being, but he couldn’t shake out the look of pure lust he’d gotten a glimpse of, and he couldn’t wait to hopefully discover this whole new side of Steve. The doorbell tingled a little when Steve let go of the door as he followed Bucky inside, and a waitress waved at them both. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Little Cupcake Bakeshop” she said with a smile, mentioning at them to take a seat wherever they wanted. “We’re out of layer cakes tonight, but we have almost every type of cupcakes left. I’ll let you pick what you want, wave at me when you’ve decided!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you” Steve replied with a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned around to face Bucky, pushing a strong hand down the small of his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So” he said just against Bucky’s ear, making the younger man shiver from head to toes as his warm breath caressed the side of his face. “What do you like, Bucky?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was very tempting to just reply something that wouldn’t have anything to do with the cupcakes in display, but Bucky could see the waitress hovering a few feet away from the corner of his eyes, and the last thing Bucky wanted was to make anyone uncomfortable. And that included both the worker and Steve.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could go absolutely feral for red velvet cupcakes” Bucky finally confessed, twisting his body around to face Steve, lips pursed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve’s lips twisted in an easy smile. “I would have guessed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned his body around just enough to talk directly to the waitress, without putting any further distance between his body and Bucky’s, to the brunette’s delight. In a flash, the girl was in front of them, a smile plastered on his face and confirming Bucky’s earlier suspicions. He couldn’t blame her even the tiniest bit, though, he would totally be in awe too if a specimen like Steve walked into his bake shop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re gonna take two red velvet ones” he said, pointing at the ones he wanted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll pay” Bucky added pointly, staring at a scoffing Steve. “You paid for the drinks, I pay for the cupcakes. That’s how it works, period.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, Steve let him take out his wallet from his bag and pay for both cupcakes without making too much of a fuss. They found a table near the shop’s window, far enough from the display windows to be able to talk without eavesdropping ears around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Steve asked when they were seated, feet and legs touching under the small round table. “Why are you wearing such a smug smile?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you notice?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Notice what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky threw a look towards the display window, where the waitress was cleaning the counter. “She couldn’t stop staring at you from the moment you entered.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s immediate response was the frown, and he shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes way!” Bucky insisted, teasing Steve’s foot with his own. “Have you seen yourself? Of course she wants you. Everybody does.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His confession made Steve scoff even louder, and he bit into his cupcake thoughtfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know” he said after swallowing, “I wasn’t always like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky tilted his head slightly to the right. “Like what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Big. Muscular. I told you, I was sick a lot. Before puberty, I was tiny, and way too thin. No one looked at me, boys weren’t interested and girls certainly weren’t either.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky smiled. Imagining Steve as tiny or even bony was very hard, considering the way he looked at this point in his life. But it didn’t change a single thing, didn’t change the sweet baby blue eyes and beautiful face of the man sitting in front of him, or his heartfelt kindness from the beginning of the night. Steve had lost his mother very young, but somehow, Bucky knew that Mrs Rogers had something to do with her son’s good heart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must have been adorable.” he finally said, because he couldn’t admittedly say all of his reflexion out loud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve threw him a weird look. “I wasn’t… I wasn’t, adorable.” he said, putting his cupcake down on the table, throwing a sad look outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well.” Bucky said, firmly. “I’m pretty sure I would have found you adorable.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Steve seemed lost in his thoughts, eyes looking at the sun slowly setting behind New York’s buildings. He finally turned his head around to look right into Bucky’s eyes with a softness that the younger man hadn’t yet seen before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re something else, Bucky” he finally said, taking another careful bite out of his cupcake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky smiled. “That’s just because you haven’t met my mother. Trust me, the words “something else” have been invented for her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The weird tension that had crept its way between them was dissipated as soon as it arrived, and Steve let out a loud snort around his cupcake bite. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that was so sexy” Bucky teased with a roll of his eyes, watching Steve fumble with his napkin to wipe his chin and beard, holding back a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s your fault” Steve accused with a pout.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Because of course that damn grown ass man pouted, and he looked adorable, when doing so, too. Bucky was basically done for at this point. As if the cupcakes and the coffee hadn’t already conquered his poor little gay (and sugar addict) heart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Stevie. Whatever you like to tell yourself at night.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re such a little shit.” Steve laughed, kicking Bucky lightly under the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky let out a loud gasp, staring at the other man before taking a big bite out of his own cupcake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here I thought you were a gentleman” he finally said after chewing and swallowing, all of this while staring at Steve dead in the eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never trust one’s good looks” was all that Steve replied, amused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what? My mom warned me about men like you. I should have listened to her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was actually pretty easy to banter with Steve. It came naturally, almost like if they’d known each other for years, and it felt so good. It was only when they were done with their cupcakes and kept on laughing with each other for almost half an hour that Bucky noticed that the city was almost entirely plunged in the dark. He looked around, surprised, noticing how the workers of the shop were starting to pack the rest of the cakes and sweep around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh” he said when Steve followed his gaze, looking almost as surprised as he was. “Maybe we should go. I didn’t see the time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took out his phone to check the time, realizing that it was almost 9. Steve looked just as taken aback as he did, and both men stared at each other for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we should get going” Steve said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Let them close up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They got out of the shop and into the chiller air of New York for the third time of the evening. This time, as they took a step down the street, Steve’s hand automatically search for Bucky’s and they linked their fingers together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want this date to end” Bucky confessed as they walked aimlessly towards Washington Square Park, watching the few tourists brandish their cameras around the arch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither” Steve confessed, squeezing Bucky’s hand in his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have to work tomorrow? Maybe you should go home, though. I don’t want you to be tired in the morning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled, playfully pushing the bridge of his nose against Bucky’s ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, do you have plans to keep me up all night?” he asked, voice low and so, so close to Bucky’s ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was incredibly hard for Bucky to keep a clear head and pure thoughts when faced with such an intimate gesture. He was a sucker for rough voices, and Steve’s was just perfect. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, since you’ve mentioned it” Bucky replied with a shrug, trying so hard to act casual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could feel Steve’s gaze on the side of his face, but he kept his own eyes straight ahead, watching a little girl run into his father’s arm at the bottom of the Washington Square Arch. The man caught her mid jump, making her twirl around in his arms as she laughed, loud and unashamed. Bucky smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have to be at the office early tomorrow morning” Steve finally said, making Bucky divert his attention back to him. “Perks of being the boss. What about you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t work tomorrow. Day off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>At least Steve seemed pleased with the idea, if the smirk on his face was of any indication. Bucky hoped it meant that their night out wasn’t over, because he definitely wasn’t ready to say goodbye. As weirdly as the night had started, he was having fun with Steve and he loved every moment he’d spent with him so far. As far as first dates went, he was probably sure that they had checked some boxes tonight. They’d talked about jobs, childhood, they’d discussed family issues and Bucky’s addiction to sugar. As far as Bucky was concerned, he was already charmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does that mean we can do one more thing together?” Steve asked, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky chuckled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have something else planned for me, Rogers?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only response he got was Steve’s hand squeezing his a little firmer, and Steve leading them both towards the exit of the park. Bucky had to admit that he was curious, but he bit the inside of his lip to prevent himself from asking any questions as Steve led them to the nearest metro station. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, no questions?” the blonde asked once they were walking down the stairs of the subway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying to give you space” Bucky pointed out with a small huff. “At least give me kudos for the effort.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve snickered. “Alright, alright. I’m glad to see that you trust me, now that I’ve seduced you with sugar and coffee.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The easiest way to charm me” Bucky sighed dreamily, putting his free hand against his heart just for the show. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The M train was entering the station when they arrived down the stairs, and Steve led Bucky inside. At this time of the night, the metro wasn’t busy at all, but neither men felt like sitting down on some of the empty seats next to them. Instead, as Steve grabbed the metro bar firmly, Bucky used the excuse to plaster his entire body against his shamelessly. When Steve raised a knowing eyebrow, letting go of Bucky’s hand to wrap his arm around the younger man’s chest, Bucky stick out his tongue at him, just because he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was really mature” Steve said, eyes lingering on the little piece of metal sticking out of Bucky’s tongue. His eyes darkened almost imperceptibly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t seem to be complaining.” Bucky replied with a smirk, playing with the jewel just to see Steve’s hungry look once more. “But if you prefer, I can go sit down over there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve immediately tightened his grip on his hips, making it impossible for Bucky to even move a muscle. The obvious display of strength shouldn’t have been this hot, but Bucky was just a man, faced with one of the hottest date he’d ever had. He couldn’t help but flush down to his collarbones when he noticed a couple of people looking their way, which seemed to amuse Steve even further. No one dared to comment, probably because they’d seen worse in New York’s metro, but Bucky still felt dizzy with adrenaline and something he couldn’t quite name for the rest of the ride. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s get out of here” Steve said when the metro stopped at the West 4 Street Station. He slid out of the train swiftly, with more grace than could be expected from a guy his size. As soon as their bodies parted, Bucky felt the need to flush himself back against the other man’s warm body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve turned his head, grabbing his hand to kiss the inside of his palm softly. “Where are we going?” Bucky all but whispered, sliding his hand in the blonde’s again, their fingers entwining in an almost familiar way at this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve’s eyes shined. “Just trust me, alright?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And who was Bucky to refuse? So far, he had spent the best date of his life and he’d never once had to look at where Steve was taking him. So he took a deep breath, smile easily parting his lips as he looked back at the other man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” He replied, “Game on, Rogers.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t walk for a long time once they were out of the subway, crossing the street carefully before turning right at the nearest intersection. As soon as Bucky realized where they were heading though, he couldn’t help but stop in the middle of the sidewalk and incredulously stare at Steve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Top of the rock?” He asked, incapable of hiding the amusement in his voice. “Isn’t it a tourists thing?” He actually remembered going once, when he was just a kid, with his class. As a typical New Yorker though, he’d never really paid attention to the so called ‘tourists traps’ and main attractions of the city, way too busy trying to find work and pay his crazy expensive rent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve chuckled. “It is. Which is why you have to trust me on this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded at the security guy at the entrance, sliding inside the building with ease and confidence and without letting go of Bucky’s hand for a single moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The entry’s supposed to be that way” Bucky pointed out, looking at the signs. “And you have to have a time slot to go up, I think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled. “Yeah, I know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned towards the opposite direction, greeting the security guy standing right beside the service elevator as they approached. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Jack” he said with an easy smile, letting go of Bucky’s hand just long enough to be able to shake Jack’s. “How are you doing? This is Bucky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Steve, Bucky.” Jack replied, nodding politely at Bucky who did the same in response. “I’m fine, busy with the kids, you know, they grow up so fast. Do you wanna go up?” He supplied, this time sending an amused look towards Bucky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve threw Bucky an easy smile above his (ridiculously large) shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. We’d like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weirdly enough, Jack didn’t ask any further questions. Instead, he slid his access key in the keyhole of the elevator, gesturing at them to step inside when the doors opened in a familiar ‘ding’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know how to go down” Jack said, gesturing at the buttons inside the elevator. “Just press this one and it will take you to the ground floor, where you can get out the same what you entered. If you wanna go to Rockefeller center, press this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it, thanks.” Steve nodded, confident smile still stretching his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack threw Bucky another look, this time a little amused, before nodding. “Alright then. Have a good night, fellas.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky waited until the doors were firmly closed to turn around and stare at Steve, mouth twitching with unasked questions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stark Industries owns a part of the Rockefeller Center” Steve supplied, pushing his back against the elevator’s walls in a nonchalant way. “Which means that I have the right to use this elevator’s privilege as much as I want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky quirked an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And how many guys did you take up there, Mr Rogers?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve huffed, using the hand he was still holding firmly to pull Bucky towards him until their chests were almost touching. Bucky’s gaze almost automatically fell to Steve’s lips, his smile freezing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t take anyone up there” Steve replied softly, his hot breath caressing Bucky’s lips. “Believe it or not, you’re the first one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky tore his eyes away from Steve’s invitations mouth to look up at his gorgeous blue eyes. “Oh yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside his ribcage, Bucky’s heart felt like it could explode at any moment. It was beating so loud that he wondered how Steve could ignore the racket, and his stomach was twisting in knots at the thought of finally kissing Steve. Thankfully for him, the elevator shook slightly and finally stopped, opening to the chill air of New York city’s skyline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And we’re there.” Steve supplied, and Bucky wondered if he was imagining the disappointment in his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stepped out of the elevator as one, eyes falling on the illuminated buildings all around them. The view had always been breathtaking, but it felt even more special tonight as Steve led him to the edge of the building, warm hand against the small of his back. Bucky realized that they were actually a little higher than the rest of the tourists, in a small balcony that gave them the best view on the Empire State Building, and all the privacy that came with it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow” Bucky whispered, putting the flat of his hand against the stone of the balcony. “The view is breathtaking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled, turning his head to stare at Bucky. “Yeah” he said, letting his eyes wander down Bucky’s body. “Yes it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky caught his gaze and bit the inside of his lip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a charmer, Steve Rogers, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve shrugged. “Well, what can I say. I cannot resist a pretty face.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hand against the small of his back helped Bucky twist his body slightly, and he looked up at Steve when the other man creeped a little closer as well. Their chests were almost touching once again, Steve never letting go of his back and looking down at his lips with barely disguised desire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you finally gonna kiss me?” Bucky asked in a whisper, biting his bottom lip as an automatic response to the stressful situation he found himself in. No matter how many times he went on dates, whether he wanted or not, Bucky almost always second guessed himself when it came to kissing people. He never knew how to make the first step, never really knew when it was the right time and most of all, he was always afraid of reading the situation entirely wrong. It was a stupid and almost childish fear, but it was a recurrent one, and this time was no exception. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled, pretending to think about it for a minute. “I don’t know, do you want me to?” he finally asked with an insufferable smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come here, you jerk” Bucky huffed, grabbing Steve by the collar to pull him towards him and crash their mouths together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first touch of their lips was electrifying, to say the least. Steve’s lips were soft and hydrated, and he still tasted a little bit like red velvet as Bucky sucked his bottom lip inside his mouth, nipping at it just to tease him a little bit. They parted after a few seconds to get a better angle -after all, Bucky’s hands were still tightly gripping Steve’s collar and there was no way it was comfortable for the older man; and this time the kiss was a little sweeter, but just as good. Steve was a good kisser, soft but passionate, and he was the first one to open his lips to allow Bucky the entrance to his mouth. He was also unashamed when it came to expressing what he loved, a thing Bucky should have seen coming, and he couldn’t help but laugh softly at the moan Steve let out when his tongue came in contact with Bucky’s piercing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what you feel?” Bucky asked against his lips, kissing the corner of Steve’s mouth almost shily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a whole new experience for me” Steve confessed, closing his eyes. “I like it, though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was too tempting to rile him up a little, at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, it is said to do wonders” Bucky whispered, his mouth finding Steve’s ear and his tongue playing with the lobe. “And I’m not just talking about the kisses.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Bucky was definitely not imagining the groan that reverberated through Steve’s chest, and the way his hand tightened against his clothed back. “What did I tell you about not going down this road?” Steve asked, a little breathless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky blinked up at him, falsely surprised. “But what if I want to?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve only shook his head, pushing their foreheads together. They closed their eyes at once, enjoying the quietness and the small breeze, standing above the buildings of the city that never slept. It was nice, Bucky thought, and not only because they were on a private balcony and away from the tourists. The entire evening had been nice, and he didn’t regret accepting Steve’s invitation one single bit. It had been a while since he’d last been surprised by someone in a good way, and the fact that Steve had taken him to three different places just to impress him did make him warm and fuzzy inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you cold?” Steve asked when Bucky involuntarily shivered, the wind getting a little colder now that it was almost 10pm. He hadn’t brought a sweatshirt like he usually did in his bag, mostly because he didn’t think he’d even come home late at the beginning of the day. Jasper hadn’t been his type, after all, and he just wanted to please Nat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little” he admitted, using the excuse to get closer to Steve as the man closed his arms around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should go back, then” Steve insisted. “I don’t want you to get sick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky made a noise of protest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I like it here” he admitted with a pout. “It’s been a while since I saw the city like this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stayed silent for a while, eyes looking at New York and its tall buildings lightening the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright” Steve said, pushing Bucky away just enough to take off his jacket, ignoring his moan of protest. “But take this at least.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky wasn’t one to be charmed easily, but he could definitely feel a few more butterflies flying around his stomach as Steve’s big hands helped him put his work jacket on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was enveloped by Steve’s perfume immediately, the warm and spicy scent tingling his nostrils. He closed his eyes, humming to himself as Steve caught him in a firm hug once again, resuming their previous position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now you’re the one who’s gonna get cold” Bucky pointed out after a few more minutes of comfortable silence, during which Steve caressed the back of his neck with his thumb almost absently. Bucky didn’t miss the way his fingers slightly trembled. “We should go back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ride back was more quiet and calm that Bucky expected, but he couldn’t complain. Not that he didn’t want to make out with Steve in an elevator at some point, but he figured that the cameras he could see at the top corner of the small cubicle could actually put Steve in a delicate position if his society ever found out. So he stayed put, only entwining his fingers with Steve as they got off of the elevator and bit Jake goodbye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here we are” Steve said once they were out of the building, turning around to face Bucky. “I don’t have any more surprises for you tonight, I’m afraid” he teased, pushing one of Bucky’s wild strand of hair back behind his ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a pity” Bucky replied with a smile. “Maybe you could show me a different kind of surprise, though?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt comfortable enough with Steve to be bold, and he had learned to trust his instincts a while ago. Some people just felt right, and Steve was one of them. But judging by the look on Steve’s face, he hadn’t understood what Bucky had implied, blinking at him with an awfully cute confused expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your place, Steve” Bucky whispered, standing on his tiptoes to rub his nose against Steve’s, their breath mingling. “The last surprise could be your place.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Bucky immediately felt like a jerk. “Or not,” he kept going, suddenly self aware. “You don’t have to, after all. It was just a suggestion.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He meant to pull back, but a firm hand against his shoulder blades kept him right where he was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bucky” Steve said, voice low but still audible above the noises of the city. “I like you. I really, really like you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He paused, and Bucky felt himself grow anxious. He had no idea if it was the right time for him to respond, but he did it anyway. Mostly because he was a babbling mess, but also because he’d learn never to let anxiety twist his guts this way for a man. And Winnie Barnes would be proud of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like you too, Steve.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But” Steve kept going, eyes soft. “You’re young.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky scoffed. “I’m 26!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m 34” Steve interrupted, squeezing his hand softly. “It’s not a blame, Buck. I’m just stating a fact.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, pushing his forehead against Bucky’s again, nosing at his cheek in a loving movement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t do casual sex. If this is what you’re looking for…” he stopped, letting go of Bucky’s right hand to be able to run his fingers through his hair, a sign of obvious nervousness. “I loved getting to know you tonight, I really did. I loved every minute of it, but I cannot take you home tonight knowing that you’ll be gone in the morning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a few seconds for Bucky to process the information, seconds during which Steve patiently held his hand, as patient as ever. The wind was slightly ruffling Steve’s blonde strands of hair, making him look a little younger than he actually was as his baby blues bore into Bucky’s own eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if… I’m not gone in the morning?” Bucky asked then, slowly. “What if I stayed?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bucky… I don’t want you to accept this just because you’ve spent a good evening and want to come home with me.” Steve sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The younger man shook his head vehemently. “But that’s the thing, Steve. I spent an amazing evening, and I wanna come home with you. But I also wanna go on more dates, and do more things with you like we did tonight.” He squeezed Steve’s hand lightly, emphasizing his words as much as he could with an hopeful look. “I’m not just saying this to come home with you, I promise. I know I surely don’t look like it” he gestured to his own body with his chin, “but I don’t usually accept to go walk around Manhattan with the first attractive person I find. I really like you, Steve, and if you’ll have me, I’d be honored to go home with you tonight and wake you up with pancakes tomorrow morning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were still staring at each other, and Bucky could see how much his words affected Steve, no matter the impassive face he tried to keep. It was surprising to see so much conflict and self doubt in a person that appeared so sure of herself at first glance. Bucky hadn’t known Steve for more than an evening, but he felt like the man cruelly lacked of self worth when it came to himself, and most probably his daily life, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Steve finally asked one more time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky smiled, barely even keeping himself from jumping of excitement here and then. “Very, very sure.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ride back to Steve’s place occurred almost entirely in silence, save for the occasional little laughs they let out as they entered the train and bumped their legs together as they sat close. They probably both looked like giddy teenagers, but neither of them seemed to care. And if they earned a few looks in the metro, both amused and annoyed, they didn’t even pay attention enough to notice. Fortunately for the both of them, the ride was quite short and they were back in Greenwich in no time, for the second time of the evening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’ll hold on to your word on the pancakes tomorrow morning” Steve said with malice as they walked towards his apartment hand in hand, breaking the comfortable silence that had been setting between the both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded. “Oh, I know. And let me tell you, you haven’t properly appreciated pancakes until you’ve tasted mine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they were close to Steve’s apartment, Bucky took the time to pull out his phone from his back pocket and send a quick text to Nat, under Steve’s protective gaze. Steve immediately disclosed his address, pushing Bucky to give it to Natasha in another text, and Bucky would have been lying if he didn’t admit that this entire display of trust and protectiveness didn’t shook his entire heart in the most wonderful way. He was sure he’d be able to raise an entire swarm of metaphorical butterflies by the end of the night, with the way Steve had been behaving. Not that he would ever complain, obviously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here we are” Steve announced as they arrived in front of a beautiful building, climbing up the pinkish stairs leading to the entrance door. “After you” he announced, opening said door for Bucky to get in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The entrance of the building looked pretty different from Bucky’s, most likely because he lived in a tiny little flat in Brooklyn and couldn’t afford a proper place like Steve’s. However, it was pretty bland and empty, apart from the blue letterboxes on the opposite wall and a trash can nearby filled with ads and various papers. Bucky noted that there were only 4 letterboxes in total, which meant that the building that looked pretty small from the outside wasn’t any bigger in the inside, like some of them looked in Manhattan. Or maybe the four appartements were bigger than Bucky had pictured, which could also be a possibility considering the neighborhood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m on the first floor” Steve announced as they walked towards the stairs, Steve letting Bucky go up first with a protective hand against the small of his back again. “Oh the left.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were only two apartments per floor, and when Steve unlocked the door to his place, Bucky understood why. In terms of places in Manhattan, the apartment looked huge. Maybe it was because Bucky was used to his tiny place that he had to share with Nat and their cat, but even the entrance looked bigger than his bathroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, this is me” Steve said as he closed the door behind Bucky, putting his set of keys into the bowl next to the door. “Make yourself at home.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As much as I’d love to” Bucky replied with a sly smile, turning around to wrap his arms around Steve’s middle, appreciating the feeling of the hard muscles under his hands, “I think I’ve got more important things to do first.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With his chin propped against Steve’s torso like this, he could stare into the other man’s baby blue eyes with intensity. But also gave room for Steve to bend over a little more, kissing one of Bucky’s eyelid as the younger man closed his eyes to let him, shivering at the tender gesture. Steve’s nose bumped his, and Bucky pulled back just enough for the position to be a little more comfortable for them both, Steve’s breath caressing the side of his face when he loomed over him. Steve had unnaturally long eyelashes, covering his blue eyes darkening slightly as they stared at each other, and Bucky’s breath wavered slightly. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been watched with such intensity before, and it did things to him he didn’t wanna think about right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you gonna kiss me again?” Bucky asked in a whisper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, you want me to again?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky couldn’t help but pout at the obvious teasing. He loved being teased, especially when it came to sexy times, but he was also extremely clingy and needy at times. He had no excuses really, he just loved the attention, and now was one of these times as Steve’s hand came to rest on the small of his back to pull their bodies hard together; leaving no space in between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know I do, you punk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve had mercy on him this time, and pushed their lips together for the second time of the evening. The kiss was soft, softer than Bucky wanted, and he wasted no time as he bit Steve’s plump lower lip, sucking it into his mouth for the second time of the evening. Steve let out a sigh, and it only encouraged Bucky to keep on going with his playful ministrations. Soon enough, he was pushing the warm metal of his tongue piercing against Steve’s lips, smiling when he felt Steve’s hand squeeze his waist a little tighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wanna know how this feels like on your skin, Steve?” Bucky teased, breaking the kiss only to push their noses together playfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve sighed. “You’re such a tease.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Takes one to know one, am I right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled back just enough to take off Steve’s jacket and fold it on the nearest chair. He took the time to look around as well, now realizing that what he’d taken for a small private entrance was opening towards the living room to his right. Said living-room wasn’t particularly big, but it was spacey and light enough to give the impression of a big space. The light brown wooden floor looked old but well kept, giving a much needed touch of color to the white walls of the room. The walls however weren’t bare, but instead looked scattered with various paintings and sketches, some framed and some just stuck with a bit of tape. Three little simple shelves that looked like they were made directly out of a wooden pallet were framing the big window at the other end of the room, right above a big brown couch that looked even more comfortable than Bucky’s own bed. In front of the couch was a small and simple coffee table covered with various sketchbooks and pencils, right in front of a small fireplace that looked as old as the floor with a small tv on top of it. Bucky noted the various books he could see next to the tv and propped against the window, making the room look even cosier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what you see?” Steve asked from behind Bucky, startling him a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t even realized that he’d walked in the room, taking in the sight before him. Steve was now propped against the door jam, looking at Bucky with a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips, swollen and red because of their kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful” Bucky replied honestly. “I love the sketches on the wall, and the paintings you framed. It’s gorgeous, Steve. Feels… Homey.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It appeared to have been the right thing to say, because Steve’s face softened even more at the confession. In two steps, he was near Bucky and plastered his front to Bucky’s back, pushing his nose against his neck to lay down a few soft kisses there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you wanna take me to bed?” Bucky sighed, feeling himself grow weak with the kisses and the way Steve’s body felt against his, so strong and big. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.” Steve said, ‘Follow me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They left the living room, Bucky following Steve’s knowing steps as he led them to a small corridor, leading to three different doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bathroom” Steve said as he mentioned to the one on the left. “Toilets” was the one right in front of them, parallel to the entrance of the apartment, “and my bedroom” he said as he opened the one on the right, seemingly placed right behind the living-room. “And if you ever need, the kitchen is right in front of the living-room, on the left when you come in.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky appreciated the small tour of the place. He loved that Steve didn’t actually take him to each room to show it to him (it would have killed the mood, to be quite honest), but he appreciated knowing where things were. He’d too often stumbled upon various places he would have rather avoided during particularly weird one night stands when looking for the toilets in the middle of the night, and he recalled one time with a naked roommate he would probably never erase completely from his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And this is my bedroom” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bedroom was so intensely </span>
  <em>
    <span>Steve</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Bucky felt his head spin. When he’d only known the man for one night, it had become apparent that Steve was a sensitive, creative and incredibly kind being wearing his heart on his sleeve. His bedroom had very light mauve walls and once again what looked like an old brown wooden floor. The bed was huge, which wasn’t surprising considering the fact that Steve was no small man, barren from any headboard and looking like the giant mattress was laid on simple wooden pallets, propped on thick footboards that looked like they’d been made by hand. Said bed was supporting at least six pillows (and Bucky loved pillows), thick and fluffy blankets, and surrounded by two simple wooden step ladders used as nightstands. Above the bed was another shelf, on which Steve had put various plants and books as well as a few candles here and there. The only light in the room came from the moon shining through the big window and the lights of the city, that Bucky could see as clear as day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steve” Bucky breathed as Steve turned one of the lamps on the nightstand on, “this is beautiful.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took off his stan smith before stepping inside the room when he saw the big fluffy carpet laid out between him and the bed, and Steve did the same before carefully putting both their pair of shoes aside next to the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you like it” Steve finally said, pulling Bucky towards him. “Because you see, I had quite a few things in mind when it comes to you and this room.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky laughed, sound turning into a chuckle when Steve rubbed his beard against the side of his face playfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyone ever told you that you’re a dork?” he asked as Steve nibbled on his ear, fingers digging into Bucky’s side to try to make him laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm, not lately, no.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Bucky’s turn to take things into his own hands when Steve finally stopped torturing him, and he pushed the other man towards the big bed. Bucky’s calves came in contact with the side of the bed, Steve cornering him with his big body and making it impossible for Bucky to do anything else than lay back, or lean against Steve. The older man pushed two fingers under Bucky’s chin, tilting his head upwards to capture his lips in a searing kiss. Bucky felt his head spin at the press of Steve’s insistent lips, warms and wet against his, his mouth welcoming and so intoxicating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So” Steve said in a whisper, pressing a kiss against Bucky’s chin. “I heard you like to bottom?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The snort that Bucky let out was anything but sexy, but it didn’t tarnish Steve’s smile. The blonde caressed the side of his face, fingers hovering over the skin without ever giving Bucky the contact he so desperately needed. Bucky realized he had closed his eyes when he felt Steve’s mouth search his again, and he melted in the kiss like a starving man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So perfect” Steve whispered against his lips, tongue coming out to lick Bucky’s bottom lip in a gesture that shouldn’t even be half as hot as it was, Bucky shivering from head to toes at the contact. “So gorgeous. You know, when you walked into that restaurant earlier tonight, I wanted to eat you right there. Couldn’t get my eyes off of you, Sam had to threaten to leave if I didn’t get it back together.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky let out a frankly embarrassing moan at this revelation, his breath shortening as Steve’s fingers crazed the hollow of his throat. Steve’s eyes darkened slightly when he realized the effect that the simple pression of his thumb had on Bucky, and he seemed to put this information aside as he let his hand fall down his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on” Steve said, pushing Bucky a little so that he fell down on his ass on the comfortable bed, “Take your clothes off. I wanna see what I haven’t already seen of you yet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He mentioned to the very transparent shirt Bucky had been wearing all night, the younger man barely containing his smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it did get me laid” Bucky pointed out with a smirk as he took it off, sending it crashing on the floor next to the bed without a ounce of regret. “Didn’t it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve buttoned down his shirt with a quirk of his right eyebrow in response. “Did it though? I’ve got time to change my mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky was already out of his (very tight pants) when Steve took his shirt off completely, and the younger man took a minute to appreciate the view in front of him. Kneeling on the bed in his underwear in front of Steve, he was perfectly placed to appreciate the view and feel himself grow hard and shivery at the sight. Steve didn’t wear anything under his shirt, which wasn’t surprising considering the weather in New York these days, but Bucky barely bit bad a loud whine at the sight anyway. Steve seemed to like the genuine reaction, his shoulder muscles undulating under his skin as he took the shirt off entirely and  threw it away like Bucky’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve was a gorgeous man, and there was no denying it. But to finally see his torso on display like this was a totally different matter, and Bucky couldn’t help but lick his lips as he took in the well defined abs, the strong shoulders and the thin line of blonde hair starting from under Steve’s belly button and trailing down his pants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, no smart ass reply?” Steve asked, and Bucky looked up just in time to see the teasing smile grazing his lips. “Like what you see, sweetheart?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky pouted. “You know I do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Steve was still wearing many clothes compared to Bucky, down to his boxer briefs and shivering when Steve caught his hips with both his strong hands, it didn’t prevent Bucky from throwing his arms around Steve’s (impressive) shoulders and tug him down just enough to crash their lips together again. They both moaned in the kiss, their torsos coming in contact for the first time with the movement and sending shivers down their spines in tandem. The hard outline of Steve’s pants was rough against the skin of Bucky’s lower belly, and the younger man didn’t hesitate before breaking the kiss just long enough to be able to sneak a hand in between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think you’re doing exactly?” Steve said against his lips, hot breath caressing the side of Bucky’s face when the younger man looked down just enough to see what he was doing with his clever fingers and Steve’s zipper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does it looks like?” Bucky sassed back immediately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In seconds, both of Bucky’s hands were firmly gripped in Steve’s strong hands. Bucky let out a small frustrated sound when he realized that he couldn’t move a muscle anymore, incredibly turned on by the display of strength as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I don’t think so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve let go of one of Bucky’s wrists, sending him a warning look when he tried to move his now free hand towards his pants again. Bucky let out a pained little whimper but stayed in place, shivering as Steve’s breath caressed the side of his throat as he went down, and down again towards his torso. Steve eventually squatted a little, pushing his knees against the bed right in front of Bucky’s own knees, and bent down just enough to be able to grab one of Bucky’s nipples between his lips. The shock that was the contact of Steve’s warm lips and wet tongue against the cool metal of the piercing and the sensitive flesh of his nipple made Bucky gasp loudly. Steve didn’t stutter, as his tongue slowly traced the edge of the metal piercing through flesh, warm saliva coating the little numb of flesh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky let out a pant. “Steve” he said, grabbing the other man’s neck with his free hand, fingers pushing through his thick blonde hair to hold on to something. “Steve, I’m—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The edge of Steve’s teeth grazed Bucky’s nipple, catching the piercing to pull it slightly away from Bucky’s body, Bucky muffling a moan at the gesture. The younger man’s hands tightened in his hair with each movement of his teeth on the now erected nipple, and just as Bucky was finally getting used to the regular tongue movements, Steve suddenly switched to the other one just as swiftly. The other nipple received the same torturing treatment, and by the moment Steve pulled back with a satisfied smirk and swollen lips, Bucky was already hard and leaking in his boxer briefs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sensitive?” Steve teased as he pulled back entirely, knees creaking when he got up and stood by the edge of the bed again, looking down at Bucky with a satisfied spark in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know it is” Bucky replied with difficulty, breath heavy as he flushed down to his torso. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve finally let go of his other hand, using it to cover Bucky’s --currently resting on his chest, right next to his heart. Bucky’s thin fingers slowly traced the edge of the pink swollen scar on his left pectoral, looking up at him questioningly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got a pacemaker” Steve said softly, his thumb caressing Bucky’s jaw. “Told you I had a lot of health problems when I was a kid, this is one of the things that helped cure me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A story for another day, Bucky thought when Steve’s hand slid down his throat to graze his nipples again, playing with the still slightly wet skin. Bucky let out a breath, freeing both his hands to frame Steve’s hips with his fingers and move him away just enough to be able to bend over and press a kiss right under Steve’s belly button. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bucky…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just let me take care of you, Steve.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With clever fingers, Bucky took care of Steve’s belt buckle and slid down his zipper. Steve was wearing Calvin Klein boxers briefs (which really shouldn’t be half as sexy as it was) and Bucky couldn’t help the way his breath caught when he pushed the pants down just enough to get a glimpse of Steve’s bulge under the white fabric. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one affected by Steve’s previous ministrations, judging by the smell of sex and pure want that hit his nostrils as he finally let Steve’s pants slide down his strong legs, leaving him in only his underwear too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to, you know” Steve said, fingers pushing under Bucky’s chin to make him look up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mouth tells me that I don’t have to, but your eyes say otherwise, Rogers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no mistaking the way Steve’s eyes had darkened when Bucky hovered over his crotch, and Bucky loved sucking cocks way too much to pass on this opportunity. And what better way to discover what he was working with, too? When he looked up at Steve again, his swollen lips and shiny eyes, he already craved the feeling of his mouth on his own. The spark that shook his body whenever they kissed, deep and passionate. It had been just a couple of hours, but Bucky could feel himself grow addicted to the taste of Steve Rogers’ kisses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking down at Steve’s boxer briefs again, Bucky licked his lips. He wasn’t what he would call a master at sucking cocks, but he knew he wasn’t too shabby at it either. His tongue piercing always felt very new and exciting for his lovers, and Bucky had mastered a few techniques that he was proud to put into practice whenever he could. The thing he loved the most about sucking cocks was the heavy weight on his tongue, the scent and feeling of the hard member pushing down his throat but also the moans and sounds he could push his lovers to make. With his thumbs, Bucky started gently massaging the cleft of Steve’s thighs, right next to his growing bulge. The tiny huff of breath that Steve let out encouraged him to keep going, and his lips travelled down from his belly button to the edge of his underwear; smearing a trail of saliva in his path. He could feel the muscle move under this lips as Steve’s breath caught and quickened, his thumbs rubbing in circles but never coming closer to the place where Steve wanted it the most. After a couple of minutes of teasing in which he nibbled at the offered skin and licked his way up and down, Bucky finally pushed his forefingers inside the band of his boxer briefs to push it down and uncover his cock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky couldn’t hold back a satisfied smile when Steve’s hard member bobbed in front of him, precome wetting the head. He was red, cut and almost purple with want at the tip, and Bucky wanted nothing more than to put his mouth on it. Like the rest of Steve, the member was impressive, not overly long but thick and veiny just like Bucky loved. Steve let out a little gasp when Bucky grabbed it with a firm hand, deprived of any hesitation in his movements. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, Bucky. You’re gonna be the death of me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I want you alive and well for this, trust me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky swallowed a pleased smile, licking his lips to wet them properly. There was nothing less pleasing than a dry blowjob, and he’d had a few less than pleasing experiences in the past that could testify. Carefully but with ease, Bucky put his lips on the tip of Steve’s cock, tasting him for the first time. The taste wasn’t his favorite in the world, but it was so overly </span>
  <em>
    <span>Steve</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it made him moan. He pushed the tip of his tongue against the slit, collecting more drops of precome and swallowing around the member before pushing it a little further down his throat. He didn’t swallow his saliva, coating the member in a few movements of his mouth up and down, smearing it with one hand while the other stayed firmly placed on Steve’s thigh for the moment. The room was starting to fill with wet noises, and Bucky hummed as he closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the act. Once Steve’s cock was coated with saliva and hard enough that it looked like it could burst at any moment, Bucky pulled back to take a deep breath of air and look up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mouth is killing me” Steve said in a whisper, cheeks red and eyes glassy, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “the things I wanna do to you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky smirked. “Yeah?” he teased, tilting his head to the side. “I haven’t even started yet, sugar.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he took Steve’s cock back in his mouth in one swift movement. This time, instead of just barely grazing the member with his tongue and focusing entirely on the pressure of his lips, he flattened his tongue against it and rolled his piercing against the thick veins he could feel on the hard column of flesh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck” Steve gasped above him, fingers finding Bucky’s long hair and tightening in his strands. “God, Bucky, your mouth…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky hummed in response, deep and oh so nice against Steve’s manhood. It earns him another moan and a few swears, and Bucky closed his eyes as he started going up and down with a little more speed. Steve seemed shy enough to hold back with his hands, much to Bucky’s dismay, and it took all of his willpower to pull back with a loud ‘pop’ and look up at his lover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold my hair” he said, whipping the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. “Come on, fuck my throat baby.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s blatant hesitation only lasted a second before he nodded. Bucky could feel his jaw working as he gritted his teeth; and it suddenly felt like a personal challenge. With a deep breath to calm his beating heart, Bucky opened his mouth and took him in again. This time however, as Steve hesitated but for a minute before starting to accompany his movements, he slid his free hand in between Steve’s legs to gently grab his balls and fundle with them, caressing the furled skin with intent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, Bucky!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Steve wasn’t shy with his movements. His hand tightened in Bucky’s hair and he thrust up a little bit, holding the younger man’s head in place as he did. Bucky gagged a little at first, relaxing his throat instantly. It always took a little time to get used to having his throat fucked again, no matter how many times he’d done it before. Bucky let out a loud puff of air through his nose when Steve’s hesitant movements turned into more assured ones, and they quickly built a rhythm that they both loved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Made for me” Steve babbled in between pants. “so good for me, Buck.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky guessed that his head was thrown back with how distorted his voice sounded, and he had to hold back a whimper at the mental image that it provided him. Bucky had always been a sucker for visual images, and the idea of Steve fucking up into his mouth without restraints and using him like this after treating him like a precious thing for the entire evening did </span>
  <em>
    <span>things</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him. It was a sense of safety and newfound pleasure that washed over Bucky as he closed his eyes, blinking away the tears sticking to his eyelashes, caused by the spasming of his throat. The room was filled only with Steve’s pants and the wet noises of Bucky’s throat for a while before Steve finally pulled back, cock bobbing out of Bucky’s mouth. A trail of saliva was still connecting the tip to Bucky’s lower lip, and Steve used the flat of his thumb to wipe it away surprisingly gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You drive me crazy, Bucky Barnes” Steve said with a pensive smile, helping the other man to sit back on his knees before crashing their mouths together in a deep kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky appreciated the attention, and the way Steve wasn’t shy about where his mouth had just been. He’d had a few lovers in the past that categorically refused to kiss him after a blow job, and it always did ruin the mood a little bit. Steve wasn’t shy at </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span>, licking into his mouth like he was starving for it before he turned the tables around and pushed Bucky to lie on the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take these off” Steve said, mentioning to Bucky’s boxer briefs. He did the same with his in one swift movement, taking off his socks in the same movement and throwing Bucky an hungry gaze when he finally found himself naked like the day he was born, hard and ready. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky felt himself blush. It’s not that he wasn’t used to compliment (he knew he didn’t look too bad, and he was pretty fucking proud of his piercings and tattoos, thank you very much), but the reverent way Steve had said this just made his entire body shiver from head to toes. If he hadn’t decided that this date was worth another one before, he would definitely had left Steve his number after this. No one, and he truly meant no one, had ever looked at him the way Steve did before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look who’s talking” Bucky swiftly replied, opening his arms to frame Steve’s body as the older man crawled on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up and kiss me, smartass.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their noses bumped each other as they lazily kissed a little more, one of them moaning in the embrace --even though Bucky would have been incapable to tell which one. Their naked bodies touched for the first time and Bucky wanted to cry at how incredible it felt, Steve was all hard muscles but had a bit of softness in the way he held himself almost protectively over him, never letting all his weight fall on Bucky. Bucky let his hand roam down Steve’s back, appreciating the hard muscles and hot skin in display, and they broke the kiss with a pant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love kissing you” Steve admitted, eyes falling on Bucky’s reddened lips. “I feel like I could kiss you all night long.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm” Bucky smiled, “as much as I’d love this… I think we’ve got more pressing matters to attend to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he arched his back a little bit to rub his hard cock against Steve’s. The contact made them both moan in unisson, electrifying their skins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see your point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, do you now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve muffled his moan against Bucky’s neck, peppering his heated skin with kisses and small bites. The younger man’s hand covered Steve’s hair automatically, body immediately betraying how much he loved having his neck taken care of like this. It was one of his weaknesses, and kisses down his neck could turn him on just as much as fingers playing with his nipples when done right. There was no mistaking the way goosebumps covered his entire body at the ministration, and there was no doubt on whether Steve could get him worked up simply like this. Bucky felt himself grow addicted to Steve Rogers, in more ways than one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Using Bucky’s apparent distraction, Steve slid a hand down between their bodies, grabbing Bucky’s cock in a firm grasp. Bucky was uncut too, slightly thinner than him but just as long. The slightly shocked gasp that he let out was music to Steve’s ears, and with a few controlled twists of his wrist, Bucky was aching against his body.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, get the lube” Bucky urged him, eyes fluttering shut. “Come on!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time Steve has grabbed the lube under one of the big pillows -Bucky felt like he could ask, but the amused look Steve threw him dissuaded him; Bucky was already panting. The liquid was still slightly cold against his cock when Steve warmed it up between his fingers and grabbed him again, spreading a reasonable amount of liquid on Bucky’s hard member for the friction to get even more enjoyable for the both of them. With his other hand, Steve finally reached under Bucky’s spread legs, earning himself a needy whimper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, I've wanted to do that to you from the moment you walked in with that asshole, wearing those tight little jeans displaying your peachy ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky let out a gasp, Steve’s words burning through his skull. He was so hard he could feel himself drop against his own belly, and the way Steve’s fingers were teasing between his cheeks and his dark gaze swept over his naked body made him shiver from head to toes. Some of Steve’s hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, his baby blue eyes almost completely overridden with dark and arms muscles bulging as he moved. Bucky’s eyes followed the thick veins from the top of Steve’s strong shoulder to his wrists, down to his clever fingers hidden between his legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One day” Steve kept going, forefinger finally pushing past the tight ring of muscles to penetrate Bucky’s body, “I’m gonna eat you out real nice, get you all wet and lose from my tongue only” he whispered as if telling a secret, eyes searching Bucky’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky could only moan at that, the back of his head pressing more urgently against his pillow. His right leg twitched as Steve finally pressed in another finger, at last. He had missed the delicious ache of his muscles relaxing for the moving digits, making way for something bigger and way more pleasing than a couple of fingers. It hadn’t been that long since Bucky last had sex (a handful of months, maybe more), but the way Steve crooked his fingers hit all of his sweet spots. Perhaps it was because Steve was a little older than the usual one night stands he brought home when Natasha wasn’t around, but the comfortable and assured way he fingered him felt like heaven. His spine tingled with pleasure when Steve added a third finger, and not even the slight discomfort he felt at first could make the delicious feeling aching inside of him go away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky blinked his eyes open, not even remembering when he closed them. “I want you” he finally said, looking at Steve. “please?”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve delicately slid his fingers out of him, grabbing a few tissues from the nightstand to wipe off the excess of lube on his hand and grab a fluffy pillow. He caught Bucky’s hips with one firm hand, muscles moving sinfully under his skin as he helped Bucky lift his hips up from the mattress to put the pillow under him. Steve settled between his legs as he opened them wide, their cocks crazing each other in a gasp on Bucky’s part. Grabbing Steve’s bicep to hold on to something, Bucky took a moment to appreciate the smooth skin under his sweaty palm. Finally, Steve grabbed a condom he’d grabbed at the same time as the lube and tore the wrapper with his teeth, sliding it down his cock in a swift movement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beware” he said in a whisper as he leaned in, hot breath caressing Bucky’s bottom lip as their faces almost touched. “something’s gonna literally go up your ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky wasn’t proud to admit that it took him a few seconds to understand what Steve was saying, and it was only when Jasper’s words echoed in his mind that it hit him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You fucker” he wheezed, punching Steve’s shoulder lightly. The other man was already snorting against his collarbone, big body covering his as he shook with laughter. “Don’t you dare remind me of this asshole when you’re about to fuck me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve, the overgrown kid that he was, only snickered harder at this. It took all of Bucky’s willpower not to laugh out loud too, the happiness he could see spreading over Steve’s face when he pulled back enough to look at him in the eyes twisting his stomach in pleasant knots. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me make you think about something else” Steve whispered eventually, pushing his mouth barely inches away from Bucky’s. The younger man could not help but look down at it, pink tongue wetting his own lips. When Steve’s thin resolve broke and they finally kissed, there was a hint of teeth against Bucky’s lips and their tongues found each other again, and it was one of the most perfect moment in Bucky’s life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Steve wordlessly applied some more lube onto his cock, hissing as the cold liquid dripped down his hot latex covered skin and onto his strong thighs. Bucky was pretty sure he was lubed up enough for them to get on with it already, but Steve looked like the type of guy who wanted more than his word to take as granted, no offense taken on Bucky’s part. Not that Bucky minded, quite the contrary. It felt good to have sex with someone a little older than him, and the confidence with which Steve carried himself bled through their intimacy. It also helped that the guy had the most perfect body and face combo he’d ever seen in his life, and he’d decided to take Bucky, of all people, home. And then, Steve was </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> pushing in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first feeling of someone inside his body always was a pretty special moment for Bucky. Not that it metaphorically meant anything when it came to sex, but he loved feeling his body tense up just a little bit at the intrusion, before giving way fully. It always felt so private and intimate, no matter who he was sleeping with at that time and the force of his connexion with the other person. With Steve, it felt even better than with anyone else he’d slept with in a very long time. The feeling of Steve’s warm and strong body surrounding him and his lips devouring his neck as he pushed in slowly but relentless, coupled with the myriad of sensation cursing through his body as he finally bottomed out were enough to make Bucky’s brain white out. He was vaguely aware of the sounds he made, needy whimpers and low moans that filled the room quickly enough, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at this moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt Steve wait for a couple of seconds when he was balls deep, rolling his hips with expertise as he waited for Bucky’s inner muscles to relax completely. At this point, Bucky was already (and humiliatingly) far gone, and it did remind him of why he liked sex that much. Surrounded by Steve’s smell, cradled against his strong body and filled with his sex, there was no room for shyness or even self consciousness. Bucky felt good, he felt beautiful in a way he rarely did, and Steve’s gaze made his skin prinkle with want. There was no hesitation in the way he closed his thighs around Steve’s hips and encouraged him to move, to fuck him, to make love to him. And Steve, bless his soul, he understood perfectly. He set a punishing rhythm for the both of them straight away, as if he’d been capable of reading Bucky’s mind and knew exactly what he needed and what kind of mindset he was in. Soon enough, the room was filled with the wet sound of skin against skin, the wet echo of lube and both of the men’s moans. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky was not a silent lover. He was not ashamed to admit it, and he’d rarely gotten complaints. But he loved vocal lovers, someone to accompany his moans as he expressed his pleasure. And of course Steve had to be Bucky’s perfect fit. His little huffs of breaths and sharp intakes of breaths were coupled with moans and groans as he drilled Bucky’s body into the mattress, and every sound passing his lips were music to Bucky’s ears. On a particularly hard trust, Bucky let out a high pitched moan that gained Steve’s attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right there, uh?” he asked, sweaty skin shining under the lights of the city filtering through his window, making him look even more gorgeous if it was even humanly possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t wait for a verbal confirmation, something that Bucky very much appreciated. Mostly because he would have been incapable of actually speaking, his brain turned to jelly by Steve’s cock rubbing occasionally against his prostate. Once again, Steve proved that he was indeed walking right out of one of Bucky’s wet dreams when he abruptly changed their positions. Sitting back on his calves, he pulled Bucky’s body up until he was sitting on his cock, legs resting on Steve’s hips and thighs. At this angle, there was no way Steve could ever miss his prostate, and Bucky’s body was already singing praises merely thinking about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think you can handle this, doll?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bucky huffed, chest heaving with pride. He could handle anything when it came to his own pleasure, thank you very much. However, as much as he would have loved to fight Steve, he did let out a squeaky sound that he’d denied until the day he died when Steve grabbed his hips and forced them to roll slowly in a circular motion. It was pure and incredible torture, and Bucky loved every second of it. His voice felt hoarse already, but he couldn’t hold back the whimpers every time his body clenched up around the thick length inside of him. Steve seemed to know exactly where he wanted Bucky, and he knew how to play him and his body perfectly. The maddening pressure against his prostate soon had Bucky crying out, head thrown back as he felt tears of pleasure gather at the corner of his eyes. </span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too much for you?” Steve teased. The asshole didn’t even seem out of breath, skin flushed pink and dark hooded eyes being the only proofs of how much it affected him as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky sobbed, hands digging into Steve’s back as he held on for the ride. “God, Steve, please… Please, harder?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully for Bucky, Steve didn’t need to be told things twice. With a swift movement of his hips, he pushed Bucky’s weight more on his right side to free his left hand, that he wrapped almost immediately around Bucky’s cock. The brunette let out a small gasp, entire body tightening as more pleasure sparked down his spine. It was hard from this moment on to keep his eyes opened as Steve worked his fist over his cock, fingers twisting around the head just the way he loved. The pressure against his shaft now covered with precome coupled with the heavy weight of Steve inside of him felt like heaven, and Bucky was too light headed to hold back his pleasure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you close, baby?” Steve whispered knowingly, his bearded jaw rubbing against the outline of Bucky’s cheek as he spoke. Bucky felt himself shiver at the contact, every nerve in his body lightening up like candles in the dark. “Are you gonna come for me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not trusting his abused vocal cords to speak, Bucky nodded firmly. His chin bumped hard against Steve’s shoulder as he did, and he felt Steve shake with silent laughter. How the dude could be so composed when he was balls deep inside Bucky (and his very pleasurable ass, because Bucky was not fishing for compliments but he knew the effect his ass had on men, and he spent enough hours at the gym to appreciate it), he would never know. But Steve was obviously still capable of sassing him, and Bucky shouldn’t love it that much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m close” he managed to say in a short breath. “Keep going, I’m so close.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve hummed, lips tracing his pulse point right below his ear. The slight burn of his beard against Bucky’s sensitive skin felt as good as it hurt, and Bucky huffed a whimper. Steve’s strong thighs seemed to shake a little as he moved a little faster, fist still working Bucky’s cock with movements that matched the ones of his hips. How Steve could still find the strength to fuck into him in this position, Bucky would never know, but he surely wasn’t about to complain. He just hoped Steve wouldn’t mind him going absolutely boneless after his climax, because his own legs already felt like well cooked noodles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve turned his head just enough to be able to capture Bucky’s lips with his own, their warm and wet breath mingling as they kissed. It was wet, noisy and honestly kind of awful, but Bucky loved every second of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, baby. Come for me, Bucky” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sharp movement of his hips and a sneaky twist of his wrist, Steve pushed his lover over the edge. Bucky was vaguely aware of the way his body tensed up, thighs closing around Steve’s body and fingers digging in his shoulders and biceps. All he could think about was his pleasure, the way it overtook his body and left him breathless in Steve’s strong embrace. He felt himself coming, his come covering Steve’s hand and sliding down both of their bodies, making an absolute mess out of the sheets and the both of them. With his eyes shut tight and his head thrown back, it almost felt like falling off a cliff, his body light but extremely heavy at the same time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, you’re gorgeous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Steve’s voice that brought him back to reality. Without opening his eyes or moving, feeling way too shaky for this yet, he let out a small appreciative moan. Steve had stopped moving after he’d emptied in between their bodies, probably aware of the discomfort it could cause after an orgasm. However, Bucky loved being pushed to his hard limits, and he had no problem with some overstimulation every now and then. And thank God he did, because his hard nipples felt like they were on fire after an orgasm, numb and tight and squeezing the metal piercing them in the most wonderful way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you stop, though?” He asked with a raspy voice, appreciating the way Steve shivered. This was definitely an information he was storing away for later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Steve peaked up, finally sounding a little breathless. Bucky hated him a little bit for it. “Can I keep going?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In response, Bucky clenched tight around the cock inside of him, moaning softly. Everything felt too much, his entire body was already sore and his insides abused, but he just loved this over the edge sensation. Steve’s movements were careful and tender still, but he wanted to see him lose his mind and chase his own release. He wanted to see Steve, patient and bright Steve with his slightly dimpled smile and big blue eyes, lose it entirely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not gonna fuck itself” Bucky replied, lips twisting in a knowing smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately, Steve huffed his fake annoyance. His slightly shaky arms took a better hold of Bucky’s hips, making sure that he wasn’t digging too hard in the skin (although Bucky would have loved it), he started rolling his hips again slowly, testing the waters. As expected, the tug against his swollen and sensitive rim made Bucky whimper, but he couldn’t deny the raw pleasure of it either. Steve was still carefully watching his face though, searching for any kind of discomfort. He must have found none, because soon Bucky was finding himself on his back on the bed, thighs opened wide around Steve’s strong hips and mouth attacked by Steve’s lips. There was urgency in the way Steve kissed, as if every tiny bits of control crumbled away to reveal the sheer and raw want cursing through his body. When he pulled back, his dark eyes were staring at Bucky’s bottom lip, most likely red and swollen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what you’re seeing?” the brunette asked, tongue poking out to lick at the place Steve was still staring at. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Immensely.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a swift movement, Steve pulled back just enough to be able to sit back on his heels, staring down at Bucky’s body laid out in front of him. Bucky arranged himself a little, hips twisting on the bed until Steve slipped out of him and his feet were firmly pushed against Steve’s shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Feeling better about this position?” Steve sassed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hard cock brushed against Bucky’s left asscheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not my fault my entire body’s aching, you animal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve huffed, clearly not thrown aback by Bucky’s sass, which Bucky appreciated more than he should. With a steady hand, Steve eventually guided himself back inside of Bucky’s body, letting out a loud sigh as he did. His brows frowned as his entire body tensed, eyes slipping shut when he bottomed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, your body feels like it was made for me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky couldn’t hold back a moan at that, shivering from head to toes. Steve turned his head slightly to the right so that he could plant a small kiss against the inside of Bucky’s ankle, grabbing his hips tightly to roll his hips up. It felt impossible for the older man to hold back his thrusts. Each movement of his hips moved Bucky up on the bed, so much that he eventually threw his arms back to push his palms against the steady wall behind him. The sounds of Steve’s movements filled the room, coupled with moans and whimpers coming from the both of them. Soon though, Bucky felt Steve’s body tense up between his thighs. The other man had already held back his orgasm in a pretty impressive way so far, and Bucky opened his eyes not to miss a single second of the moment he would finally let go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna come” Steve warned, jaw clenching and eyes rolling back inside of his skull. “God, Bucky…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded firmly, even if the other man wasn’t directly looking at him. “Yes, Steve, yes” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even his limp cock gave a vaillant twitch against his stomach at the idea, and Bucky whimpered between clenched teeth when Steve’s fingers dug into the meat of his thighs. Everything felt too much, too soon, but at the same time it was the most wonderful thing Bucky had ever experienced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve looked breathtaking when he came. He looked pretty alright without that, Bucky had to admit, but it was simply incredible to see his entire body tense up, muscles and veins bulging as his mouth opened in a silent scream. Some men were pretty loud when they came, Bucky was one of them. Some were totally silent, face scrunching up and bodies tight. Steve was one of this other category, and Bucky loved every single second of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, after what felt like hours, Steve stopped twitching against Bucky and let himself fall forward. He mercifully caught some of his weight onto his elbows, only leaning partially against the other man’s willing body, breathing hard and scattered against the side of his neck. Bucky closed his eyes, pushing his fingers in Steve’s damp hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that was pretty amazing” Bucky eventually whispered, breaking the silence that had fallen in the bedroom. “I really like it when you’re not being a gentleman, and so does my ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Against his clavicle, Steve huffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re such a dick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Bucky protested, using his free hand to pinch his side. “Don’t be an ass. That was a compliment.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weirdly, Steve stayed silent after that. It was only too late that Bucky understood, when Steve’s teeth sunk into the tender meat of his shoulder, making him yelp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sweet revenge” Steve mumbled, giggling like a teenager. Bucky hated him (or fell a little bit in love). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you don’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No he didn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to move?” Steve eventually asked, shifting lightly to kiss the skin right under Bucky’s ear. “Am I crushing you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky hummed. “You kind of are. But I like where you are.” His eyelids fluttered shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Against his fingertips, Steve’s damp neck was warm to the touch. Against his torso, he could feel his lover’s beating heart, calming down as minutes tickled by. Bucky felt like he could stay like this forever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m really glad you got this date tonight, Bucky.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve muffled a yawn against his neck, childishly rubbing his bearded jaw against the place he’d just bitten. Bucky swatted him in the ass, which made them both laugh. Between their bodies, Steve had slipped free from his body, and the used condom was probably half slipping off of Steve’s dick and wetting the sheets. But Bucky hadn’t felt this comfortable in years. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Steve. I’m really glad too.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Author's note</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Author's note: what is the "Brooklyn Baby" series?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Back when I went to the U.S in October 2019 for the very first time, I spent a week and a half in New York. I completely fell in love with the city, to be completely honest, and one night as we went to the top of the Rockefeller Center, I got an idea that would obviously involve Steve and Bucky (what else, when in New York City?). <br/>What if I wrote a series of stevebucky fanfictions centered around New York, and specifically the four places that I visited and which really made my trip so special? So I thought about it, again and again, and decided to come up with this series of modern!Au stevebucky fanfictions, called "Brooklyn Baby".</p><p>The first place we visited was Top of the Rock, and I decided to include it in this story. </p><p>I hope you've liked this story, and that you'll gladly follow me in this adventure and through the other three places that I've decided to write about. To all the New York City lovers, and to all those who dream of going there one day, I hope to make you travel with this series!</p><p>xx</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You can find me on twitter @/keptinonzebridg! x</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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